A Trilingual Humanist Haggadah for Passover
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A Trilingual Humanist Haggadah for Passover Compiled and edited by Cecilia Kremer and Sandra Mayo We have come together to honor our Jewish deep historic roots and its old important memories. Each of us is an extension of the past. We are more than individuals. We have connections. We receive our inheritance; we leave our legacy. We are here to remember the old story of the liberation of our people from slavery in Egypt (Mitzraim), a great struggle for freedom and dignity. We are here also to remember all people – Jews and non-Jews – who are still struggling for their freedom. To set the tone for the night, let us sing: Hee-nay Ma Tov ִהנֵּה ַמה טוֹב ַוּמה ִנָּעים ֶשׁ ֶבת ִאָחים ַגּם יַ ַחד Hine(y) ma tov u’ma-nayim Shevet ach-im gam ya-chad Behold, how good and pleasant it is For brothers and sisters to live together in unity 1 Welcome to our Seder Bienvenidos a nuestro Séder We come from many places. Our collective experience encompasses different cultures, faiths, traditions, and beliefs. We are in so many ways fundamentally different from one another. But just as we are different, so are we alike. We are all capable of loving, caring, being compassionate and empathic. We are all capable of hating, fearing, being blinded by prejudice and xenophobia. We all share feelings. Feelings of joy, feelings of sadness, feelings of wholeness, feelings of pain. Our lives are defined by the contrast between sweet moments and moments of sorrow. In spite of all that makes us different, let us be capable of sharing and receiving from one another. Let us learn to give and let us not be ashamed to accept. For it is in our interconnectedness, that we can bring to one another the wisdom of our minds and the passion in our souls. It is our hope that, on this Passover night, by reading this Haggadah, we will affirm our interconnectedness and contribute to our sense of hope and freedom. Adapted from Rabbi Pollock’s writings Lighting of the Candles Human history begins with fire. Fire is a symbol of hope and survival. We light these candles as a reminder of the hope for the future that the Israelites shared when they left Mitzraim, and of the hopes we share that the coming season will be one of warmth, growth, and love. As is true in many of the world’s religions, light is a central symbol of Judaism. Creation begins with the Commandment, “let there be light.” Shabbat and all Jewish holidays involve the lighting of candles, symbolizing holiness and spiritual energy. Light also symbolizes the joy that we share at those moments when we acknowledge the cycle of life. The Torah is often described in the imagery of light. One of its names is Torah Orah, the “teaching of light.” Light also represents the soul, the human spirit, or neshamá. May the warmth of the lit candle extend to cover the world and all upon it. Let it begin with us. We will try to bring light and warmth to those around us and to the world. In this spirit, on this Seder, we kindle these lights. Baruch Atah Ado-nai, Elo-heinu Melech Ha-olam, Asher Kid’shanuB’mitzvotav V’tzivanu L’hadlik Ner Shel Yom Tov. 2 Así como ocurre en muchas de las religiones del mundo, “Todos debemos saber que dentro la luz es un símbolo central en el Judaísmo. La creación de cada uno arde una vela y que ninguna vela es idéntica a la vela comienza con el mandamiento, “Que se haga la luz.” No del otro. Es nuestra obligación sólo el mundo material emergió de la luz, sino que trabajar duro para revelar la luz de nuestra vela, y convertirla en una también la luz representa esperanza para el pueblo judío. gran antorcha para iluminar a todo Shabat y todas las festividades judías incluyen el el mundo.” encendido de las velas, simbolizando santidad y energía Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook espiritual. La luz también simboliza la alegría que compartimos en momentos rituales como éste. Que esta calidez se extienda y cubra al mundo y a todo lo que le rodea. Comencemos con nosotros. Tratemos de traer luz y calor a todos los que nos rodean. Con este espíritu, en este Séder, encendemos las velas. Rabino Donald Pollock (adaptación) From generation to generation Though the Exodus occurred over three thousand years ago, because of the Passover Haggadah, no memory is more strongly imbedded in the Jewish consciousness than the story told herein and lived and affirmed anew in every generation. The Haggadah is a joyous ritual of freedom, celebrating through instruction, worship, song, and food, Israel’s liberation from bondage. May that great hope for mankind born at the Exodus from Egypt live and find realization ever anew in every home. Adapted from Rabbi David and Tamar de Sola Pool’s writings This story lives on because there are still many forms of slavery in our world. We are still struggling to leave “Egypt,” mitzraim —literally, “the narrow place.” There are still narrow places that confine us, and battles for freedom yet to be won. Our story of leaving Egypt is the shared narrative of a people, but it is also for each of us today to make it our own. In telling our story of freedom, each of us around the table is invited to reflect on our personal journeys toward freedom this year. As we say, Be-khol dor va-dor hayav adam lirot et atzmo ke-ilu hu yatza mi-miztrayim — “In every generation each of us must see ourselves as if we had personally gone out of Egypt.” De generación en generación La Hagadá convierte a los padres en relatores de cuentos. Los padres alimentan la historia, compartiendo su pasado con la nueva generación. En varios sentidos, hoy somos seres humanos en busca de una narrativa y podemos encontrar nuestra historia personal, reconectándonos con 3 la historia de nuestro pueblo errante que vuelve a su hogar, historia de opresión y liberación, y de casi aniquilación y rescate. Al volver a nuestros orígenes, y seguir el camino de nuestro pueblo, aportamos una resonancia más profunda a nuestras vidas personales y desarrollamos un lenguaje en común para compartir nuestros temores y sueños. Al volver a contar el Éxodo, aprendemos a conmemorar los momentos familiares y a celebrar con profunda gratitud nuestra transición hacia una vida mejor. David Hartman, Filósofo Israelí (adaptación) El Séder El ritual de la noche de Pésach se llama Séder. “Seder significa “orden”: el orden de procedimiento Why do we have a Haggadah at en el servicio. Este programa se compone de quince Passover? secciones, unas breves, otras más largas. La comida So we can Seder right words. es una de sus partes y, naturalmente, la más larga de todas. Varias melodías, con quince palabras distintivas, aluden a esas quince secciones del servicio. El ritual empleado para el Séder se llama Hagadá. El nombre deriva de la palabra VE- HIGAD’TA, “y lo contarás” (a tu hijo-la historia del Éxodo). Hagadá significa pues, “contar”. Contamos la historia de la liberación de la esclavitud egipcia. Originalmente, la Hagadá era breve (Pesajim X). Generaciones sucesivas han agregado interpretaciones, leyendas, y melodías. Por eso, cada edición de la Hagadá se ve distinta. Cada lectura sugiere nuevos matices, nuevas percepciones. Sin embargo, el Séder, el orden, cambió poco desde que fuera orquestrado por los maestros de la Mishná hace ya tantos siglos. Para asegurar la preservación de estos elementos básicos en momentos en que no cada judío poseía una Hagadá, los rabinos idearon una ayuda memoria en rima, que es cantada a menudo como preludio al Séder. Hagadá Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano (adaptación) The Seder The word “seder in Hebrew literally means “order”. There are 15 sections, often referred to as “signs” or “simanim” in the Hagaddah, a word derived from the Hebrew Ve’Higadta, meaning “you will tell” (to your son – the story of the Exodus). Therefore, Haggadah means “to tell”. We tell the story of liberation from Egyptian bondage. Originally, the Haggadah was not as long as it is today; generations of Jews have added commentaries and melodies, which make each Haggadah look a bit different. However, the Seder, the order, has changed very little since its very early conception in the Mishna. 4 To preserve those basic elements when Hebrew school’s teachings not every Jew owned a Haggadah, the A little boy once returned home from Hebrew school rabbis thought of a melody in rhyme and his father asked, "What did you learn today? that is often intoned during the " He answered, "The Rabbi told us how Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt." Seder. "How?" Perhaps the essence of Passover is not The boy said "Moses was a big strong man and he beat Pharoah up. Then while he was down, he got all the to be found in the meaning of a people together and ran towards the sea. When he got particular text, but rather in how we there, he has the Corps of Engineers build a huge pontoon bridge. Once they got on the other side, they approach the text. The secret of the blew up the bridge while the Egyptians were trying to Jewish people’s longevity and vitality cross." The father was shocked. "Is that what the Rabbi taught as a people has been their paradoxical you?" reverence for tradition and irreverence The boy replied, "No. But you'd never believe the story he DID tell us!" for dogma.